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Quotes of the Day:
"Decisions are easy when values are clear."
– Roy Disney
"The aim of flattery is to soothe and encourage us by assuring us of the truth of an opinion we have already formed about ourselves."
– Edith Sitwell
"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason."
–Immanuel Kant
1. VOA: [Washington Talk] U.S. ‘ally support’ may be reduced… Korea and Japan are needed to block China
2. Cooperation among N. Korea, Russia, China, Iran raises possibility of 'simultaneous conflicts': U.S. general
3. S. Korea takes part in multinational drills in Thailand
4. Yoon says S. Korea, Japan are partners as they overcome 'painful past'
5. Sweden's ambassador-designate to Pyongyang visiting N. Korea
6. South Korea's Yoon calls for unification, on holiday marking 1919 uprising against colonial Japan
7. Yoon says N. Korea denies universal values of humanity
8. President Yoon calls for 'Freely Unified Korea'
9. South's top diplomat meets U.S. counterpart for first time, says allies 'moving in lockstep' on North
10. Poland preparing technical inspection at diplomatic mission in N. Korea: VOA
11. S. Korea, US voice 'deep concern' over NK's definition of S. Korea as 'hostile' country
12. N. Korea conducts lectures to promote implementation of 20×10 policy
13. Ford vans seen in Kim Jong Un’s entourage
14. Kim Jong Un’s Confidence, and How It Factors Into His Economic Plan
1. VOA: [Washington Talk] U.S. ‘ally support’ may be reduced… Korea and Japan are needed to block China
The VOA Charter states: "VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions."
That said, today's episode provided confirmation to Kim Jong Un that his political warfare strategy is working. While Mr. Colby made many important points about US and alliance capabilities, he seemed to fail to understand that the primary target audience of this show is Kim Jong Un and the elite in Pyongyang.
The focus for Mr Colby (like so many) is on China, China, China and nuclear weapons. They blind us to the political warfare being conducted around the world. Even the question concerning my recent OpEd with Ri Jong Ho focused on response to provocations and kinetic action and not an understanding at all of what is happening inside north Korea and why Kim Jng Un is conducting his current actions and rhetoric. "The Real Reason North Korea Is Threatening War" https://nationalinterest.org/blog/korea-watch/real-reason-north-korea-threatening-war-209331?page=0%2C1. We had the opportunity to call out Kim Jong Un and expose his strategy but instead we focused on exposing US weakness. Unfortunately this overshadowed and drowned out the important message I tried to provide to Kim Jong Un based on work being done by the Northeast Asia Fusion Cell at USFK.
Score: Kim Jong Un: 1 ROK/US Alliance: 0
But I would say that the unspoken case that Mr. Colby makes (either wittingly or unwittingly) is that we need a new strategy for Korea which should be a "3+1 strategy to solve the "Korea question." This should be a sophisticated influence campaign based on a human rights up front approach and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea ("3") resting on a foundation of a strong ROK/US alliance defense capability ("+1"). I wish I could have had time to make that case.
I did however get to honor our Korean friends and wish them the best on their March 1st 1919 Independence day and say that I support a United Republic of Korea (U-ROK)
I did however get to honor our Korean friends and wish them the best on their March 1st 1919 Independence Day and say that I support President Yoon's vision for a United Republic of Korea (U-ROK).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z0DM_M_mHc&t=1s
[Washington Talk] U.S. ‘ally support’ may be reduced… Korea and Japan are needed to block China
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Premiered 73 minutes ago #WashingtonTalk #VOA #northern
With North Korea threatening to use nuclear weapons, it has been diagnosed that it will be difficult for the United States to defend South Korea at the expense of its own cities. It is argued that, contrary to the United States' pledges, there is a 'light gap' in the security interests of the two countries. On the other hand, counterarguments were also raised that the United States' will to extend deterrence is firm and that it will protect Korea under any circumstances. As an example, we cited records and evaluations showing that a strong alliance structure has prevented North Korea's armed invasion for decades. Host: Eunjung Cho / Interview: Elbridge Colby (Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development), David Maxwell (Vice President, Asia-Pacific Strategic Center) #Washington
Talk #VOA #North Korea - Russia #Arms Trade #ICBM #Great Mirror # Satellite technology #US-Korea -Japan #North Korea-China-Russia #Extended deterrence #Nuclear weapons #Sanctions against North Korea #North Korea #Russia #Biden #Yoon Seok-yeol #Kishida #Kim Jong- un #Putin #Xi Jinping #Korean Peninsula #Denuclearization #South Korea #United States #Japan #China #Russia #ElbridgeColby #DavidMaxwell #WashingtonTalk #VoiceofAmerica
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2. Cooperation among N. Korea, Russia, China, Iran raises possibility of 'simultaneous conflicts': U.S. general
The question is, "how do we prevent simultaneous conflicts?" (or any conflicts at all).
(LEAD) Cooperation among N. Korea, Russia, China, Iran raises possibility of 'simultaneous conflicts': U.S. general | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · March 1, 2024
(ATTN: RECASTS headline; ADDS more info in last para)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Growing military cooperation among North Korea, Russia, China and Iran raises the possibility of "simultaneous conflicts with multiple nuclear-armed adversaries," a top U.S. general warned Thursday.
Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, made the remarks during a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stressing that his command will "always" be "ready to fight tonight."
"We are confronting not one, but two nuclear peers -- the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. This reality, combined by missile developments in North Korea, Iran's nuclear ambitions and the growing relationships amongst those nations, adds new layers of complexity to our strategic calculus," he said.
"It also raises the possibility of simultaneous conflicts with multiple nuclear-armed adversaries," he added.
Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, speaks during a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on Feb. 29, 2024 in this photo captured from a livestream of the session from the committee's website. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
His remarks came amid growing concerns about burgeoning military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
The United States has revealed that the North provided Russia with ballistic missiles, munitions and other pieces of military equipment for use in Ukraine, while in return, it is seeking assistance from Moscow, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles and ballistic missile production equipment.
Cotton highlighted that he has been keeping close tabs on the growing ties between the North and Russia.
"That transactional relationship between Russia and the DPRK has manifested itself in different ways over the past eight months," he said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We are looking at that differently on what that relationship actually is, what does the DPRK gain with that new relationship that they have with Russia," he said.
In a written statement submitted to the committee, Cotton raised the possibility of the North conducting a nuclear test to show its military muscle. Seoul officials have said that Pyongyang remains technically ready for another test while its timing may hinge on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's strategic calculus.
"DPRK leadership recently declared that the country's status as a nuclear weapons state 'has now become irreversible,' and it is possible the DPRK will resume nuclear testing in order to demonstrate its capabilities," the commander wrote.
Cotton pointed out that the North views its nuclear arsenal as "a means to ensure regime survival and influence Republic of Korea and U.S. forces in the area."
"The DPRK is developing and fielding mobile short-, intermediate-, and intercontinental-range nuclear capabilities that place the United States homeland and regional Allies and partners at risk," he said.
Despite concerns over growing military ties among the North, Russia, China and Iran, Cotton voiced confidence over his command's readiness.
"The men and women that represent U.S. Strategic Command are ready to defend ... if strategic deterrence failure happens tonight, we are ready today."
At the same committee session, Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, said that North Korea does not have a "space-enabled military today," but it has demonstrated an electromagnetic warfare capability that could have impact against U.S. space systems.
"We are also very carefully watching their space systems," Whiting said, referring to the North's launch last year of what it claimed was a military reconnaissance satellite.
"Of course, they should not be launching it into space because of the U.N. resolutions that say they can't use ballistic missile technology for that. And so again, we are having to keep an eye on what they might be thinking of in the future," he added.
In a written statement, Whiting said that despite the North's frequent missile and satellite program failures, Pyongyang has demonstrated the ability to "sustain a high number of missile launches," and has fielded capable cyber and electronic warfare weapons that present "disruptive potential to the space domain."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · March 1, 2024
3. S. Korea takes part in multinational drills in Thailand
The global pivotal state executing its Southeast Asia strategy.
S. Korea takes part in multinational drills in Thailand | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 2, 2024
SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Navy and Marine Corps joined the United States and Thailand in a large-scale annual multinational exercise in the Southeast Asian country to enhance amphibious landing capabilities and humanitarian operations, officials said Saturday.
The Cobra Gold exercise took place on a coastal area in Thailand on Friday, involving three landing ships of the South Korean Navy, including the 4,900-ton No Jeok Bong vessel, six armored vehicles, F-16 fighter jets and C-130 transport aircraft, officials said.
The Cobra Gold exercise is running from Feb. 26 to March 8 and is also joined by Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan.
This photo, provided by the South Korean Marine Corps, shows its troops participating in the Cobra Gold multinational drills in Thailand on March 1, 2024 (local time). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The multinational troops were set to stage various field maneuvers, including amphibious landing operations, special jungle warfare drills, and underwater construction training.
They were also expected to conduct cyberdefense drills, joined virtually by troops at the Navy's cyber operations center.
The exercise also involves humanitarian support training, which will be joined by China and India.
Launched in 1982, Cobra Gold focuses on training multinational forces for a range of procedures to stabilize a region embroiled in a virtual armed conflict. South Korea first joined the exercise as a full participant in 2010.
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 2, 2024
4. Yoon says S. Korea, Japan are partners as they overcome 'painful past'
President Yoon is expending a lot of political capital.
(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea, Japan are partners as they overcome 'painful past' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 1, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that South Korea and Japan are partners in the pursuit of global peace and prosperity as they work to overcome their "painful past" and move toward a new future.
Yoon made the remark as he marked the 105th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against Japanese colonial rule, a watershed event during Japan's 1910-45 brutal occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a commemorative address during a ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the Memorial Hall of Yu Gwan-sun in Seoul on March 1, 2024. (Yonhap)
"Now, Korea and Japan are working together to overcome the painful past," he said during a commemoration ceremony at the Memorial Hall of Yu Gwan-sun in Seoul. "Sharing the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, our two countries have become partners in the pursuit of common interests for global peace and prosperity."
Yoon cited efforts under his administration to strengthen bilateral cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and build partnerships across industries.
"If Korea and Japan build trust through mutual exchanges and cooperation and work together to resolve difficult challenges that history has left us, we will be able to usher in a new and brighter future for our bilateral relations," he said. "I hope that the 60th anniversary of Korea and Japan normalizing diplomatic relations next year will serve as an opportunity to take our bilateral relationship to a higher level, one that is more productive and constructive."
Yoon also said the independence movement will be made complete only when the Korean Peninsula achieves a unification that brings freedom and abundance to everyone, noting the repressive rule of the North Korean regime.
"Now, we must move toward a free, unified Korean Peninsula where the people are its rightful owners," he said, noting the need to draw on the help of the international community.
"The tyranny and human rights abuses of the North Korean regime deny the universal values of humanity. Unification is precisely what is needed to expand the universal values of freedom and human rights," he said.
Yoon reiterated his commitment to helping the North Korean people, including defectors to the South, citing the government's designation of July 14 as North Korean Defectors' Day.
He also recalled that North Korea recently labeled the South its "primary foe" and "invariable principal enemy," saying, "This is truly deplorable."
Meanwhile, Yoon called attention to the various types of independence movements that were carried out under colonial rule, including those who engaged in armed struggle and others who pursued diplomacy around the world or initiated educational and cultural movements to empower Koreans with necessary skills
"The blood and sweat of these independence activists enabled our country's independence and became the foundation of the Republic of Korea," he said, referring to South Korea by its formal name. "I believe that the significance of all of these independence movements must be duly recognized and their history should be passed down correctly generation after generation."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 1, 2024
5. Sweden's ambassador-designate to Pyongyang visiting N. Korea
Recall that Sweden has always looked after US issues in Pyongyang. I wonder if the lack of a Swedish embassy operating in Pyongyang had any impact on the Private King incident last summer? We still of course have the "New York Channel" at the UN.
(LEAD) Sweden's ambassador-designate to Pyongyang visiting N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 29, 2024
(ATTN: ADDS Seoul foreign ministry's comments and other details in last 4 paras)
SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Yonhap) -- Sweden's ambassador-designate to Pyongyang has been visiting North Korea amid prospects that European countries may reopen their diplomatic missions in the reclusive country following years of North Korea's COVID-19 border shutdown.
Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun met with the Swedish envoy, Andreas Bengtsson, on Wednesday and discussed the issue of the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang said on its website.
Earlier this week, a German diplomat in charge of East Asia affairs visited North Korea in the first known case that a Western diplomat has visited Pyongyang since the reclusive nation closed its border in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This photo, uploaded on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang on Feb. 29, 2024, shows Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun (R) shaking hands with Sweden's Ambassador-designate to Pyongyang Andreas Bengtsson the previous day in Pyongyang. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Some European countries that established diplomatic relations with North Korea, such as Britain and Sweden, have pulled out of Pyongyang in early 2020 due to the North's COVID-19 restrictions.
North Korea began opening its border partially in August last year, but it has only permitted China, Russia, Cuba and Mongolia to resume diplomatic activities in Pyongyang.
South Korea's unification ministry said North Korea's permission for Western diplomats to visit the North might be related to the latest establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Cuba.
Earlier this month, South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba in a surprise announcement that could be a blow to Pyongyang, which has long boasted brotherly ties with the Caribbean nation.
"Since COVID-19 was brought under control last year, European countries have been sounding out the possibility of reopening their diplomatic missions in North Korea via various channels. But North Korea has shown no reaction," an official at the ministry told reporters.
"But given that North Korea has recently showed signs of opening its door, it could be a response to the establishment of the Seoul-Havana ties," he added.
Experts said North Korea may not overtly express its complaints to Cuba, but its relations with Cuba may not be the same as before as the news came at a time when Pyongyang newly defined South Korea as its "primary foe."
Seoul's foreign ministry said the government is paying close attention to such developments and communicating with international organizations about the ongoing situation.
Some diplomatic sources said the trips to Pyongyang by some European delegations are more likely related to maintenance purposes to check their facilities that had been shut down since the pandemic.
"As for international organizations, they need North Korea to allow them to go to provincial areas, but apparently they still can't do that," a diplomatic source said.
"In this context, it can be seen as working visits by the delegations that include technicians to check the facilities at their diplomatic missions in the North, rather than a sign of improvement in bilateral relations," the source said.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
elly@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · February 29, 2024
6. South Korea's Yoon calls for unification, on holiday marking 1919 uprising against colonial Japan
It is good to see the international press reporting on Korean unification.
South Korea's Yoon calls for unification, on holiday marking 1919 uprising against colonial Japan
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lambasted North Korea Friday, for what he called its repressive rule and vowed to achieve a free, unified Korean Peninsula
ABCNews.com · by ABC News
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea’s president lambasted North Korea on Friday over what he called its repressive rule and vowed to achieve a free, unified Korean Peninsula, weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected the idea of peaceful unification and threatened to occupy the South in the event of war.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke on March 1 Independence Movement Day, a holiday marking a 1919 Korean uprising against Japanese colonial rule.
“Now, we must move toward a free, unified Korean Peninsula,” Yoon said in a televised speech. “The North Korean regime relies solely on nuclear weapons and missiles while trapping its 26 million citizens in a quagmire of misery and despair.”
“Unification is precisely what is needed to expand the universal values of freedom and human rights,” Yoon said. “Our unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon of light for the people of North Korea.”
Yoon and Kim's conflicting comments on unification come after Korean animosities have run high for more than two years, with North Korea ramping up missile tests and South Korea expanding military drills with the U.S. in a tit-for-tat cycle.
For most of the 70 years since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, unification was a prized goal of leaders in both Koreas, which are divided by the world’s most heavily fortified border. But the prospects for unifying the rich, democratic South and the nominally socialist, authoritarian and poor North any time soon are extremely dim, observers say.
Despite extensive U.S.-led sanctions and its own economic mismanagement, North Korea has appeared politically stable. Exchange programs between the Koreas have been dormant since Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.
In a speech in January, Kim vowed to rewrite the constitution to remove the long-running state goal of a peaceful Korean unification and cement South Korea as an “invariable principal enemy.” He said the new constitution must specify North Korea would annex and subjugate the South if another war breaks out. The sudden abandonment of a policy to seek peaceful unification took observers by surprise.
Many experts say Kim likely aimed to take the initiative in dealings with the South while trying to diminish South Korean cultural influence and bolster his family’s rule at home.
During Friday's speech, Yoon called Kim's vow of enmity “truly deplorable.” He earlier said Kim's speech showed the “anti-national and anti-historical” nature of the North Korean government.
Yoon's speech didn't touch on the abuses of the Japanese colonial rulers in Korea, which left painful memories and have long been a source of tension between the two countries.
"On a holiday commemorating Korea’s resistance against Japanese colonialism a century ago, Yoon touted his administration’s improved relations with Tokyo," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul. “He emphasized that the independence movement will only be complete once the northern and southern halves of the Korean Peninsula are finally unified and free.”
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has worked to beef up South Korea's military alliance with the U.S. and resolve historical disputes with Japan, aiming to forge a stronger Seoul-Washington-Tokyo partnership against North Korea's nuclear threats.
“Now, Korea and Japan are working together to overcome the painful past,” Yoon said. “Sharing the values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, our two countries have become partners in the pursuit of common interests for global peace and prosperity.”
ABCNews.com · by ABC News
7. Yoon says N. Korea denies universal values of humanity
Again, this is why we need a new strategy for Korea which should be a "3+1 strategy to solve the "Korea question." This should be a sophisticated influence campaign based on a human rights up front approach and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea ("3") resting on a foundation of a strong ROK/US alliance defense capability ("+1").
Yoon says N. Korea denies universal values of humanity
donga.com
Posted March. 02, 2024 07:47,
Updated March. 02, 2024 07:47
Yoon says N. Korea denies universal values of humanity. March. 02, 2024 07:47. by Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com.
“The tyranny and human rights abuses of the North Korean regime deny the universal values of humanity,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during his speech for March 1st Independence Movement Day. “Unification is precisely what we need to expand the universal values of freedom and human rights. Our unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon of light for the people of North Korea.”
His speech was in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s statement in January, which defined South Korea as the country’s No. 1 enemy by saying that the concepts of unification and the same race should be forgotten. The president mentioned the human rights issue, which is the most sensitive topic for the Kim Jong Un regime and proposed unification under liberal democracy, which would free North Korean residents from such pain and enable them to enjoy the same level of freedom as South Koreans. The president did not mention unification in his speech for last year’s Independence Movement Day.
“Inheriting the spirit of the March 1st Independence Movement, various types of independence movements followed at home and abroad. Independence fighters engaged fiercely in armed struggle at the risk of their lives,” said President Yoon during his speech. “Some independence activists initiated educational and cultural movements to empower Koreans with necessary skills on their own.“
“I believe that the significance of all of these independence movements must be duly recognized and their history should be passed down correctly generation after generation. No one is allowed to monopolize history,” said the president.
한국어
donga.com
8. President Yoon calls for 'Freely Unified Korea'
Free and unified Korea.
It is important to see all these words in President Yoon's address. Will anyone in the US government and US military heed his words? Will the US support the ROK's quest to solve the "Korea question" and the unnatural division of the peninsula?
Excepts:
President Yoon's March 1st oration can be seen as broadening the persistent theme of liberty in his addresses into a 'liberal reunification theory.' Highlighting 'freedom' 17 times and 'unification' eight times, he contended that establishing a 'freely unified Republic of Korea' aligns with the global movement toward liberalism and the origins of the March 1st Movement, framing it as "a historical and constitutional duty of a president." This stance signals his leadership ambition in the reunification discourse.
President Yoon calls for 'Freely Unified Korea'
donga.com
Posted March. 02, 2024 07:46,
Updated March. 02, 2024 07:46
President Yoon calls for 'Freely Unified Korea'. March. 02, 2024 07:46. .
In his address marking the March 1st Independence Movement Day, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared, "The March 1st Movement reaches its true completion only when every individual relishes in freedom and prosperity through reunification," underscoring the necessity of progressing toward a Korean Peninsula unified in freedom. He criticized the North Korean regime's oppressive rule and human rights abuses as an affront to universal human values, advocating, "The expansion of freedom and human rights is the pathway to reunification." Additionally, the presidential office disclosed intentions to update the decades-old 'National Community Unification Formula' to infuse it with liberal values for a fresh reunification vision.
President Yoon's March 1st oration can be seen as broadening the persistent theme of liberty in his addresses into a 'liberal reunification theory.' Highlighting 'freedom' 17 times and 'unification' eight times, he contended that establishing a 'freely unified Republic of Korea' aligns with the global movement toward liberalism and the origins of the March 1st Movement, framing it as "a historical and constitutional duty of a president." This stance signals his leadership ambition in the reunification discourse.
Yoon's reunification narrative sharply contrasts with North Korea's rejection of the concept, evidenced by Kim Jong Un labeling fellow Koreans as the 'foremost enemy' and his calls to eradicate the notions of 'unification, reconciliation, and compatriotism.' In this context, Yoon lambasted North Korea for its dictatorial suppression, positioning his reunification philosophy rooted in freedom and human rights as a counter-offensive.
The government's assertive reunification approach is deemed necessary and apt, particularly when voices within our nation suggest redefining North-South relations as 'inter-state relations' to counter North Korea's antagonistic stance. Reunification remains a critical principle and mission, reminiscent of East Germany's rejection of a singular national identity, leading to its collapse, a fate North Korea could similarly face.
Yet, the government's perspective on reunification shouldn't be static. Previous perspectives, such as 'reunification will come unexpectedly' or 'reunification is a jackpot,' often resurfaced during strained North-South relations, inadvertently escalating conflicts and stoking ideological divides domestically. The current moment calls for robust security measures paired with a nuanced strategy to reduce tensions. The reunification debate should transcend ideological confrontations with North Korea, aiming for a narrative that garners nationwide consensus.
한국어
donga.com
9. South's top diplomat meets U.S. counterpart for first time, says allies 'moving in lockstep' on North
Thursday
February 29, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Published: 29 Feb. 2024, 15:42
South's top diplomat meets U.S. counterpart for first time, says allies 'moving in lockstep' on North
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-02-29/national/diplomacy/Souths-top-diplomat-meets-US-counterpart-for-first-time-says-allies-moving-in-lockstep-on-North/1992056
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Strengthening cooperation between South Korea and the United States in response to North Korea’s continued threats and other challenges was discussed during the first bilateral meeting between the two countries’ top diplomats on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in an hourlong meeting in Washington for the first time since Cho’s appointment in January. Cho stressed that South Korea and the United States are “one” and “moving in lockstep” in condemning North Korea’s increasingly belligerent rhetoric and provocations, while Blinken emphasized that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has become stronger on a “bilateral, regional and global” basis.
Related Article
At the meeting, Cho and Blinken agreed to deal firmly with North Korea’s provocations and heighten efforts to block the regime’s financial gains through illicit activities.
“At a time of heightened North Korean nuclear and missile threats, [South Korea and the U.S.] agreed to sternly deal with North Korea's provocations, continue efforts to block the North's illicit funds and strengthen cooperation on efforts for human rights,” Cho told reporters after the meeting.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other key officials hold a bilateral meeting at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
The two allies agreed to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and the institutionalization of information cooperation, along with bilateral “strategic communication at all levels.”
”We are one in condemning North Korea's increasingly provocative rhetoric and actions that violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions, including its export of munitions and ballistic missiles to Russia,” Cho said.
Cho also emphasized “historic strides” in trilateral cooperation with Japan, citing last year’s three-way Camp David summit.
“Strengthening our trilateral coordination is essential for addressing common security challenges, promoting stability and enhancing prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Cho said.
Noting the “extraordinary leadership” South Korea has shown, Blinken expressed gratitude for the two countries’ partnership and expressed hopes for greater opportunities between the allies.
“We are working together on virtually every major challenge that we have to contend with around the world, as well as working together to build even greater opportunities for our people here in the United States and in South Korea,” Blinken said.
While Cho and Blinken also discussed cooperation to respond to various other challenges, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House declined to comment on whether South Korea should provide 155-millimeter artillery shells to help Ukraine against Russian attacks.
“We are grateful for [South Korea’s] support to Ukraine obviously as they continue to defend against Russia's aggression, but I am not going to speak to their own military decision that is something for them to speak to,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Wednesday.
In response, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said its stance against the provision of weapons to Ukraine remains the same.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a meeting with researchers at the think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington on Tuesday. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]
Cho also met with scholars at the think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Tuesday and outlined a “holistic” approach employing “deterrence, dissuasion and dialogue” on North Korea to bring it to the path of denuclearization.
“On the Korean Peninsula level, [South Korea] will foster an environment to encourage North Korea's return to a denuclearization path through a holistic approach of deterrence, dissuasion and dialogue,” Cho said during the meeting, according to the Foreign Ministry.
South Korea will continue to leave possibilities open for dialogue with North Korea, Cho said.
Researchers from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace heeded the need to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the United States against the possibility of the North's regime using nuclear weapons.
Cho also met with representatives from several companies, including Google, Pfizer and Citibank, on Tuesday and called for American entrepreneurs to “more actively” expand their investment in Korea.
Cho asked for U.S. companies’ support in South Korea hosting upcoming international conferences, such as the Summit for Democracy in March and the Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit in May, both set to be held in Seoul.
Additionally, Blinken announced Wednesday that he will visit Seoul for the Summit for Democracy event next month.
The event, a U.S.-led multilateral platform meant to promote solidarity among democratic nations, is set to take place from March 18 to 20. Korea is hosting the third session of the summit, first launched virtually by U.S. President Joe Biden in December 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am grateful to South Korea for hosting the next Summit for Democracy," said Blinken at the start of the talks with Cho Wednesday. "This is something near and dear to the heart of President Biden. We're grateful that you've picked up the torch on the Summit for Democracy, and I very much look forward to being in South Korea and participating.”
BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]
10. Poland preparing technical inspection at diplomatic mission in N. Korea: VOA
Diplomacy to return to north Korea?
Poland preparing technical inspection at diplomatic mission in N. Korea: VOA
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · March 2, 2024
By Yonhap
Published : March 2, 2024 - 10:33
People of Pyongyang visit the statues of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill on the occasion of 82nd birth anniversary of Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 16. (AP-Yonhap)
Poland is in talks with North Korea to conduct a technical inspection at its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, a US news outlet reported Saturday, after a few other European countries have taken similar steps amid prospects of reopening the missions in the North after years of the pandemic-driven shutdown.
Poland is "discussing with the DPRK authorities a suitable time for both sides to conduct a technical mission in Pyongyang," the Voice of America reported, citing a written comment from a Polish foreign ministry spokesperson in response to its query.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
The official said that Poland is "interested in maintaining" the diplomatic presence in the North that had been there long before 2020 when the global COVID-19 outbreak began, according to the VOA.
The VOA also reported that the Czech Republic is "exploring conditions" to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, quoting a Czech foreign ministry official.
The reports came after some European countries sent their diplomats to Pyongyang or are preparing to do so, in what observers say may indicate efforts to reopen their diplomatic missions in the reclusive country after the North's strict border shutdown.
North Korea began opening its border partially in August last year but has only permitted China, Russia, Cuba and Mongolia to resume diplomatic activities in Pyongyang.
A German diplomat visited North Korea earlier this week in the first known case for a Western diplomat to have visited Pyongyang since the border closure in early 2020.
Sweden's ambassador-designate to the North was visiting North Korea this week and met with the Chinese envoy, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang said on its website.
Seoul officials have raised the possibility that the North's decision to allow Western diplomats in might be related to South Korea's establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.
The new Seoul-Havana ties are seen as a blow to Pyongyang given its decadeslong brotherly ties with the Caribbean nation. (Yonhap)
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · March 2, 2024
11. S. Korea, US voice 'deep concern' over NK's definition of S. Korea as 'hostile' country
But we must understand why Kim is making these statements now. I hope that Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul also discussed unification with Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell, as Dr. Campbell is the only government official that I know (civilian or military) who genuinely supports Korean unification and understands its important to denuclearisation, ending the crimes against humanity and bringing stability, peace, and lasting prosperity to Northeast Asai.. He is also one of the few who understands the potential catastrophic effects of a potential collapse of the Kim family regime. Of course all those issues are overshadowed by the blinding light of the nuclear issue, war rhetoric, and Chinese, north Korean, and Russian cooperation.
S. Korea, US voice 'deep concern' over NK's definition of S. Korea as 'hostile' country
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · March 1, 2024
By Yonhap
Published : March 1, 2024 - 08:51
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a meeting on Wednesday at the State Department in Washington. (Yonhap)
WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States expressed "deep concerns" Thursday over North Korea's definition of the inter-Korean relationship as one between two hostile states and its potential attempt at changing the status quo in the Yellow Sea, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
Their position was announced in a statement after Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell had a breakfast meeting in Washington. The previous day, Cho held his first bilateral in-person talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken since he took office in January.
"Following the foreign ministerial meeting, (the two sides) expressed deep concerns again over North Korea's definition of the inter-Korean relationship as one between hostile, belligerent states, and over any potential attempt to change the status quo in the Yellow Sea," the statement read.
"They agreed to actively cooperate to be able to deter any provocation by North Korea," it added, noting that Seoul and Washington have been "completely in solidarity" with each other to address North Korean threats and provocations.
The allies' worries over the North's potential attempt to revise the status quo came as Pyongyang has been more vocal in its move to dispute the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a de facto western inter-Korean sea border.
The North has challenged the NLL, arguing that the line was unilaterally drawn by the US-led UN Command after the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
During the breakfast meeting, Cho asked Campbell to play an "active" role in further developing the bilateral alliance as well as trilateral cooperation with Japan.
Campbell said in turn that he "highly" cherishes the partnerships with South Korea and Japan, and will work to strengthen three-way cooperation through frequent communication with his counterparts in Seoul and Tokyo, according to the ministry.
Cho reiterated his call for the US government to show interest to help ensure that South Korean enterprises expanding their investment in the US can get benefits commensurate with their contributions in America.
In a readout, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Cho and Campbell discussed concerns over miliary cooperation between the North and Russia.
"They also noted Russia's concerning military cooperation with the DPRK, including Russia's use of DPRK ballistic missiles against Ukraine, which poses a serious threat to regional stability and global nonproliferation," Miller said.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The two sides also discussed concerns about China's support to the Russian defense industrial base while they stressed the importance of providing further support to Ukraine, according to Miller.
During the talks on Wednesday, Cho and Blinken also had discussions on North Korea's threats and its military ties with Russia, Miller said in a separate readout.
"The secretary and foreign minister discussed their concerns about the DPRK's increasingly aggressive behavior, repeated violations of UN Security Council resolutions, including its transfer to Russia of ballistic missiles for use against the people of Ukraine, and increased domestic repression," the spokesperson said.
Both sides underscored continued alignment on countering Russia's aggression, Miller said.
In addition, the top diplomats emphasized the "unwavering" strength of the two countries' alliance and reaffirmed the importance of the trilateral relationship with Japan, he said.
koreaherald.com · by Yonhap · March 1, 2024
12. N. Korea conducts lectures to promote implementation of 20×10 policy
The most powerful and most important organization in north Korea is the Organization and Guidance Department. Kim is working to exert maximum control over the party, the military, and the people.
Excerpts:
Daily NK obtained some of the materials used during the lecture series. The preamble to these materials calls on all party members to arm themselves with the revolutionary tradition of the Juche idea and become pioneers in following the monolithic ideological system and asserts that the mission of party officials should be to blindly and faithfully accept and follow the policies and directives issued by the Central Committee.
Later in the materials, the document makes direct reference to rural development policies: “Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un convened an expanded meeting of the politburo to outline his direction and plans for developing rural industry and promoting the welfare of the people in the countryside, and all members of the party must fully adopt a revolutionary attitude of faithfully accepting his strategy and plans [for rural development].”
In other words, the lecture materials ordered that officials carry out the 20×10 policy outlined in Kim Jong Un’s speech at the 10th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly (Jan. 15).
N. Korea conducts lectures to promote implementation of 20×10 policy
The lectures were conducted by representatives of Pyongyang's Organization and Guidance Department rather than local propaganda departments
By Seulkee Jang - March 1, 2024
https://www.dailynk.com/english/n-korea-conducts-lectures-to-promote-implementation-of-20x10-policy/
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was accompanied by his daughter during a visit to the country's defense ministry on Feb. 8, 2024, which is foundation day for the DPRK military. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korea recently held lectures for provincial cadres as part of efforts to implement the regime’s new “20×10 rural development policy.” The lectures appear to be a way to inspire loyalty among party members as the regime prepares to push forward the new policy in earnest.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that North Korea recently gathered all provincial party members for a week-long series of lectures. The lectures were conducted by representatives of the Pyongyang Organization and Guidance Department rather than local propaganda departments.
The lectures were organized immediately after the 19th Expanded Meeting of the Politburo of the Eighth Central Committee (Jan. 23-24) and held in late January and early February.
The lectures emphasized the need for officials to arm themselves with the party’s revolutionary ideology and “move as one” to follow the party’s newly proposed rural development policy.
Party officials must “adopt a revolutionary attitude”
Daily NK obtained some of the materials used during the lecture series. The preamble to these materials calls on all party members to arm themselves with the revolutionary tradition of the Juche idea and become pioneers in following the monolithic ideological system and asserts that the mission of party officials should be to blindly and faithfully accept and follow the policies and directives issued by the Central Committee.
Later in the materials, the document makes direct reference to rural development policies: “Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un convened an expanded meeting of the politburo to outline his direction and plans for developing rural industry and promoting the welfare of the people in the countryside, and all members of the party must fully adopt a revolutionary attitude of faithfully accepting his strategy and plans [for rural development].”
In other words, the lecture materials ordered that officials carry out the 20×10 policy outlined in Kim Jong Un’s speech at the 10th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly (Jan. 15).
Later, at the 19th enlarged meeting of the Politburo of the Eighth Central Committee on Jan. 23-24, Kim criticized the lack of support for his plan, saying, “The fact that we cannot smoothly provide the people in the countryside with basic food, consumer goods and other necessities of life is a serious political problem to which today’s party and government cannot turn a blind eye. Some political guidance departments and economic institutions have failed to see the realistic, revolutionary opportunities and have been slow to act.”
In the following week, senior Workers’ Party official Jo Yongwon was put in charge of the newly formed “20×10 Rural Development Emergency Central Promotion Committee,” which then led to the lectures for provincial party officials.
The lecture materials obtained by Daily NK also called on all party members to participate in self-criticism and education sessions, saying that party members must serve as role models in their own workplaces and lead the masses to loyally follow the Workers’ Party.
The materials criticized party members who failed to properly attend party lectures and self-criticism sessions, urging them to consider their lives as “inseparable from party activities, just as a fish cannot live apart from water.” The materials also warned that “officials who are found to have forgotten their duty to the party and are acting solely in their own interests will be punished and, in particularly serious cases, expelled from the party and exiled to the countryside.
Challenges lie ahead in policy implementation
All in all, the lectures appear to be the beginning of propaganda activities by provincial, city, and county party committees to support Kim’s 20×10 policy.
On Feb. 26, the Rodong Sinmun reported that “city and county party committees in North Pyongan Province have been briskly carrying out various organizational political activities, including posting convincing slogans, signs, and posters in high-traffic areas to arouse the revolutionary fervor of the masses and [deploying] propaganda broadcasting vans and mobile propaganda art troupes.”
At the same time, however, many officials in the provincial factories that are being considered for participation in the 20×10 rural development efforts are working to have their workplaces removed from the list of candidates because of insufficient budgets.
Translated by Rose Adams. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
Read in Korean
13. Ford vans seen in Kim Jong Un’s entourage
A left handed compliment to Ford I suppose. The regime must think they are the best.
Ford vans seen in Kim Jong Un’s entourage
Photos from North Korea’s news agency are more evidence of the evasion of UN sanctions.
By Jisoo Kim for RFA Korean
2024.03.01
rfa.org
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency released at least two photos of vans used in Kim Jong Un’s motorcade that appeared to be made by Ford Motor Co., suggesting that Pyongyang has again evaded U.N. sanctions.
One Feb. 29 photo of a groundbreaking ceremony shows Kim walking on a red carpet lined with soldiers at attention with the black passenger vans in the background.
Another shows the four of the vans bearing the Ford logo on the front driving behind a luxury black sedan.
The vehicles appear to be fourth generation Ford Transit vans that have been manufactured in North America since 2021. The photos didn’t show any passengers in the vans.
A 2013 U.N. sanctions resolution bans the import of luxury cars into North Korea. Another U.N. resolution in 2017 banned the import of all means of transportation.
But it’s widely believed that luxury goods are still being smuggled into North Korea.
Two black Ford Transit vans are seen in the background during North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to air force headquarters on Dec. 1, 2023. (KCNA)
T.R. Reid, director of corporate and public policy communications for Ford, told Radio Free Asia that Ford “fully complies” with sanctions against North Korea and other countries, and “doesn’t provide products or services in, to or through agents of the country.”
“How these vehicles were procured for use in and brought to North Korea is unknown,” he said.
In January 2023, a vehicle presumed to be a Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS 600 belonging to Kim was revealed in images from North Korea’s Korean Central Television.
And at the end of last year, Kim and other top North Korean officials were seen arriving at Party Central Committee headquarters in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class car.
Allowing the Ford vans to be photographed was a demonstration by Kim that he can still access luxury items from all over the world, said Bruce Bennett, a senior researcher at the Rand Institute.
“American things like a Ford. German things, like a Mercedes,” he said. “He’s basically demonstrating his power and access that his people can get around all of these sanctions.”
Translated by Jisoo Kim. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
rfa.org
14. Kim Jong Un’s Confidence, and How It Factors Into His Economic Plan
Resistance potential some day?
Conclusion:
There are many aspects of North Korea’s policies and developments that are difficult to comprehend from a Western perspective. Even after studying North Korea for more than 30 years, I still have questions that remain unanswered.
In order to understand North Korea, it is important to closely observe and analyze the leadership of the supreme leader, the dictator Kim Jong Un. Especially in a country where power is highly concentrated, the ability of the leader at the center is often akin to the ability of the state. The ability to mobilize financial resources from society in pursuit of what the leader perceives as the “national interest” (extraction), the ability to guide the country’s socioeconomic development (coordination), the ability to rule through symbols and consensus (legitimization), and the ability to rule through the use or threat of force (coercion) are important factors in assessing leadership.
It is also important to note that if the improvement of people’s lives is achieved through the method of expropriation of residents, and if people are forced to sacrifice themselves for various political events and achievements such as party conventions, it may ultimately lead to fierce resistance that has not yet surfaced.
Kim Jong Un’s Confidence, and How It Factors Into His Economic Plan
https://www.38north.org/2024/03/kim-jong-uns-confidence-and-how-it-factors-into-his-economic-plan/
Since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un formally took power in 2012, the Korean Peninsula has always been under the threat of war, except for the brief period surrounding the historic inter-Korean summitry in 2018-2019. In his address to the Supreme People’s Assembly on January 15, Kim Jong Un announced what appeared to be warnings of potential conflict with South Korea. However, a closer look at the text of the speech reveals a more nuanced focus on the interplay between the economy and war. Despite veiled threats, the title of his speech, “On the Immediate Tasks for the Prosperity and Development of Our Republic and the Promotion of the Wellbeing of Our People,” underscores Kim Jong Un’s emphasis on the economy and welfare, not war.
Kim Jong Un has consistently emphasized economic and defense construction since his early ascension to power under the so-called parallel path of economic and nuclear development, also known as byungjin. Improving people’s living standards while strengthening the country’s overwhelming nuclear deterrent has been his consistent policy goal. The crux of his recent address is the “20×10 policy” for local development, which aims to establish local industrial plants in 20 counties over 10 years. This initiative seeks to bridge urban-rural disparities by building modern factories in the provinces, with the hopes of fully utilizing resources and raw materials to ensure that citizens always have high-quality basic food, foodstuffs and consumer goods, providing them with basic living conditions and necessities. In fact, the goal of local and rural development had been emphasized as a policy priority during the time of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as well. Although despite all their talk, the actual living standards of rural residents have not improved dramatically.
While there are still many unknowns and data from North Korea is hard to come by, delving into the intricacies of speeches can enable us to better see the interplay between the country’s economic objectives, geopolitical complexities, and the pivotal role of Kim Jong Un’s leadership and confidence that factor into the nation’s strategic trajectory.
The 20×10 Policy
What makes this rural development policy different from previous ones under Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung? First, as Kim Jong Un has stated, local industrial plants will be built all over the country. The plan is to build rural industrial plants in 20 cities and counties each year for the next 10 years, so that roughly 200 counties and cities are covered by the end of the decade. To be clear, there are factories in the provinces already, but they mainly produce military goods. As a result, the provinces have not been able to provide basic food, groceries, or consumer goods for the local population.
To accomplish these goals, the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) has already promised to guarantee funds, labor and materials to all counties on an ongoing, annual basis, based on the experience of operating an industrial plant built in June 2022 in Kimhwa County on the border between North and South Korea.[1] The party has also set up a dedicated department to lead the effort, with the party’s organizational leadership, the highest authority, in charge. This is a departure from past practice. For instance, in 2021, when the Municipal and County Development Law, which established the legal system for rural development at the county level, was first enacted, no central government support was provided for local development initiatives.
On January 30, Rodong Sinmun reported that the “20×10 Provincial Development Committee” had officially begun and was moving forward at full speed. Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the WPK, and the party will likely hold its ninth congress later next year. It is believed that Kim Jong Un is trying to make progress on local development before that time to demonstrate success in an initiative that his grandfather and father were unable to achieve.
The Past is Prologue: Economic Policy Under Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un’s focus on both national defense and economic construction is not unreasonable; it is a style of governance that has been consistent since he took power in 2012, when he revised the preamble to the constitution to state that Kim Jong Il had made North Korea a nuclear power.
In his second year in power, in March and April 2013, following the country’s third nuclear test, confrontation between North Korea and the United States led to speculation of a second war on the Korean Peninsula, United Nations Security Council sanctions, an unprecedented increase in the intensity and scale of US-ROK military exercises, and the temporary closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation efforts. Kim Jong Un fueled that speculation by creating the impression that war was imminent.
On March 5, 2013, North Korea declared that the armistice agreement was “invalid.” In response to the UN’s discussion of sanctions against North Korea and the conduct of the US-ROK joint military exercise “Key Resolve,” North Korea announced that it would make the armistice agreement “totally nullified” and halt all activities at the Panmunjom Representative Office of the Korean People’s Army (also referred to as the Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People’s Army). Three days later, on March 8, it announced the abrogation of “all agreements on nonaggression” and the suspension of the “Panmunjom liaison channel” between North and South Korea. On March 26, the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) announced that it had entered the “combat duty posture,” and on March 30, it declared a state of war. In the early hours of March 29, Kim convened an urgent operational meeting, during which he ordered his troops to be on standby for “ its military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in south Korea.”
In April of that year, North Korea adopted a decree “on further consolidating the status of a self-defense nuclear power” and restarted its 5 MWe plutonium production reactor at Yongbyon. On April 9, North Korea’s Asia-Pacific Peace Commission announced that it did not want foreigners in South Korea to suffer harm if war broke out, and called for evacuation and safety measures in advance. On April 11, the Workers’ Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland released a statement claiming it could hit all US military bases in the Pacific and East Asia with the push of a button and that the latest threat was not simply psychological warfare.
Tensions reached a boiling point when US B-52 strategic bombers appeared over the Korean Peninsula. This crisis was finally defused by the US first sending Secretary of State John Kerry as a special envoy to North Korea on April 15, 2013, and then former President Jimmy Carter on May 1, 2013, and North Korea responded by lifting its first combat alert. According to Kerry, President Barack Obama’s decision for “a number of exercises not to be taken” that month helped lower “our rhetoric significantly,” and North Korea responded by returning to the negotiating table.
However, amid all this turbulence and war rhetoric, Kim Jong Un’s domestic actions did not reflect broader war preparations. On March 31, 2013, he held a plenary meeting of the WPK Central Committee to adopt a new strategic course, byungjin, prioritizing both economic development and the development of a credible nuclear deterrent.[2] Two weeks prior to that announcement, the country held its first national light industry convention in 10 years, where Kim Jong Un delivered a speech emphasizing the need to further develop light industry, which is directly related to people’s lives.[3]
Later in May, he enacted the Economic Development Zone Law and designated 14 economic development zones that year alone.[4] At the time, Kim sought to develop balanced regional development by attracting tourists and foreign investment, and envisioned gradually building tourist special zones and economic development zones across the country. Although large-scale tourism zones were built in places such as Wonsan, this policy of economic development zones was virtually abandoned as the country failed to attract foreign investment, in part due to a lack of economic infrastructure, wavering North Korean power supply, and United Nations Security Council and US financial sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.[5]
Despite these challenges, Kim initiated massive construction projects. He has since greatly expanded recreational facilities such as amusement parks, equestrian centers, ski slopes, and swimming pools and constructed large-scale streets and apartments to make life easier for residents. Every year, the Kim regime presents a vast construction plan, and every year, progress is made against those plans.
In particular, the speed at which North Korea has accomplished some of its large-scale construction goals has been remarkable. From 2012-2023, several representative projects, such as high-rise apartments, were completed across the country in a short period of time, including:
Such large-scale construction is certainly not the norm in a country that has failed to provide basic food, groceries and consumer goods to its rural and provincial populations.[6]
The North Korean authorities see large-scale construction as an appropriate way to show off their economic revival to the population. Construction is an intuitive measure of national strength and civilization and is seen as a meaningful and important project to implement the WPK’s people’s initiatives despite intense sanctions and pressure from the international community and in an atmosphere of accelerated war preparations. While all this construction is linked to Kim Jong Un’s vision of “all-round development of North Korean-style socialism,” it also shows that Kim wants to demonstrate a leadership that will not give in to sanctions and pressure and will meet them head-on.
Confidence and Complexity in Economic Strategy
In my view, the fact that Kim Jong Un laid out so many challenging goals and tasks in the economic and military sectors in his January 15 address reflects a significant level of confidence. Kim claimed to have achieved breakthroughs in 2023, saying that no other year was as full of phenomenal victories as last year. Even if this assessment is somewhat exaggerated, a look at sectoral trends in the North Korean economy in 2023 shows no signs or circumstances of severe deterioration from the previous year in most areas, including foreign trade, agriculture, manufacturing, construction, services and market prices/exchange rates.[7]
Kim also seems to be encouraged by his country’s ability to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which terrorized the world for nearly four years, with minimal human and material damage. He appears pleased that he has succeeded in upgrading his nuclear arsenal and has made steady progress toward completing new strategic and tactical weapons systems such as solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and military reconnaissance satellites. He also seems confident that he has laid the groundwork for broader cooperation with Russia in military, economic and scientific fields.
Kim appears to see all of these developments as the result of internal unity, although in reality, the achievements are based on a system of total mobilization of state resources. From a more critical point of view, it is the so-called soldier or people’s squeeze. North Korea has recently been emphasizing the “new era” of the “swift horse” (Chollima) as a new mass movement slogan. This is an attempt to revive and reinvigorate the signature mass movement of the late 1950s under Kim Il Sung, the Chollima Movement. Just as Kim Il Sung mobilized the population to overcome the devastating economic situation after the Korean War, Kim Jong Un wants to implement the numerous tasks he envisioned and decided upon by the party, including defense, economy, and rural and local construction, through a total mobilization system.
Conclusion
There are many aspects of North Korea’s policies and developments that are difficult to comprehend from a Western perspective. Even after studying North Korea for more than 30 years, I still have questions that remain unanswered.
In order to understand North Korea, it is important to closely observe and analyze the leadership of the supreme leader, the dictator Kim Jong Un. Especially in a country where power is highly concentrated, the ability of the leader at the center is often akin to the ability of the state. The ability to mobilize financial resources from society in pursuit of what the leader perceives as the “national interest” (extraction), the ability to guide the country’s socioeconomic development (coordination), the ability to rule through symbols and consensus (legitimization), and the ability to rule through the use or threat of force (coercion) are important factors in assessing leadership.
It is also important to note that if the improvement of people’s lives is achieved through the method of expropriation of residents, and if people are forced to sacrifice themselves for various political events and achievements such as party conventions, it may ultimately lead to fierce resistance that has not yet surfaced.
- [1]
- “지방공업의 새로운 도약, 본보기적 실체,” [“A new leap forward for local industry, an exemplary entity,”] Korea Today, July 11, 2022.
- [2]
-
The economic and nuclear development parallel line (byungjin) was adopted at the 23rd Plenary Session of the 6th Labor party Central Committee (March 31, 2013).
- [3]
- “김정은 동지께서 전국경공업대회에서 하신 연설,” [“Kim Jong Un’s speech at the National Light Industry Congress”], KCNA, March 18, 2013.
- [4]
-
“DPRK Law on Economic Development Zones Enacted,” KCNA reported on June 5, 2013, noting that “a decree on the law was promulgated by the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK was issued on May 29.”
- [5]
- The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourism Area is a project to develop the Wonsan-Kalma Peninsula in Kangwon Province into a large-scale coastal tourist destination. It includes an airfield, resorts and amenities, and a university to train tourism service personnel, including hotel staff. Initially targeted for completion in April 2019, it was postponed twice and changed to April 2020, but completion is expected to continue to be delayed due to the economic sanctions on North Korea, which have hindered the procurement of construction and equipment materials, and the virtual inability of international tourists to visit due to COVID-19.
- [6]
-
Unofficial reports have also suggested that the housing projects are unsafe and not good quality. Lee Jong-Suk, “North Korea still has much to do to improve the quality of housing for its people,” Daily NK, February 24, 2022, https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-still-has-much-to-do-improve-quality-housing-for-people/.
- [7]
- In 2023, North Korea’s trade with China was estimated at $2.32 billion. This is 83 percent of the pre-COVID-19 trade volume in 2019. North Korea’s exports to China totaled $290 million, a 218 percent increase from the previous year. This is also higher than in 2019 ($220 million). Imports from China totaled $2.03 billion. While this is a 242 percent increase from the previous year, it still falls short of 2019’s imports ($2.57 billion).
-
North Korea’s food production in 2023 totaled 4.82 million tons, up 310,000 tons (6.9 percent) from 4.51 million tons in the previous year, according to estimates by the Korea Rural Development Administration. This is the same level as 2016 (4.82 million tons), which was the highest since Kim Jong Un took power.
- In 2023, imports of intermediates for light industry, such as plastic products, textiles, materials for wigs, stone baths, and edible oils (soybean and palm oil), increased significantly from last year, which may have led to limited capacity utilization in the apparel, food processing, and household goods industries that use these intermediates. The construction industry is believed to have grown significantly, driven by large-scale household construction in Pyongyang and throughout the provinces.
- In 2000-2002, North Korean market prices were very volatile, rising sharply due to extreme supply shortages caused by the suspension of imports of intermediate and final consumer goods, and the market’s dollar exchange rate experienced a sudden appreciation of the North Korean won. However, in 2023, North Korean market prices/exchange rates were relatively more stable than during the COVID-19 crisis (2000-2022).
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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